Thermostatically controlled blower fan furnace attachment



Feb, 26, 1957 B. R. ALLEN THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED BLOWER FAN FURNACE ATTACHMENT Filed Jan. 12, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0R m, .M 1% Rm 8 3 w W r g f Wn U H 8 w a m a 4 4 0 9 2 q 5 06 2 w 4 3 B. R. ALLEN Feb. 26, 1957 THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED BLOWER FAN FURNACE} ATTACHMENT Filed Jan. 12, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.4

Burr/s R. Allen INVENTOR.

al aca 3% United States Patent THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED BLOWER FAN FURNACE ATTACHMENT Burris R. Allen, St. Louis Park, Minn.

Application January 12, 1954, Serial No. 403,613

4 Claims. (Cl. 236-) or pipe for operatively mounting the fan in its intended position.

There has long existed a recognized need for a simple, practical and economical warm air blower fan construction which, in use, provides a satisfactory solution to the problem of heat-conditioning a basement, that is, the

cold weather, which means, in many localities, some seven months, more or less, during the average year. The object of the instant invention is to provide a readily applicable and removable automatically controlled blower fan attachment in the low cost field which does not increase fuel bills, satisfactorily heats the basement area and floor of the above rooms, which provides years of trouble-free service, and is such that it will aptly and satisfactorily meet the requirements of manufacturers, furnace men and those who install hot air ducts, home owners and others. Briefly summarized, a preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized by a readyto-install temperature responsive blower fan sleeve or pipe attachment comprising an arcuate plate, a circuit make and break switch embodying a casing handily and accessibly mounted on the convex exterior side of said plate, a manually adjustable temperature responsive switch means which automatically turns the motor and fan off and on in relation to variable temperature requirements, said means embodying a shaft extending laterally through an opening in said plate and beyond the concave side of the plate, a coiled thermal element encircling said shaft and operatively connected at one end to said shaft and anchored fixedly on a stationary part of said switch at the other end, whereby to expand and contract and to oscillate said shaft.

Another aspect and objective has to do with a construction as stated, wherein an adapter is provided, this in the form of a simple length of pipe having a shoulder forming bead at the inner attachable end and bendable fingers extending beyond said bead permitting the thus constructed end to be inserted and clamped securely in place in an opening provided therefor in a vertical wall of the plenum chamber of an ordinary hot air furnace so that said pipe extends a short distance beyond the wall to deliver hot air from the plenum chamber into the basement, and said pipe being provided in one side intermediate its ends with an opening to accommodate the novelly constructed blower fan unit.

What is more, novelty is predicated in particular upon 2,782,991 Patented Feb. 26, 1957 2 the so-called blower fan unit in that this is so constructed and is of a self-contained structural type which makes it possible for the average home owner, if he be the handy man type to install the entire attachment in a matter of thirty minutes, more or less.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.

Inthe drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure l is a perspective view showing a conventional hot air basement furnace with the usual air trapping and plenum chamber, or plenum, as it is usually called, the latter provided with the customary ducts and the improved blower fan attachment being applied thereto in readiness for use;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view with parts in section and elevation, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is an end view, with portions broken away, looking at the attachment from the discharge end, that is, in a direction from right to left in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a greatly enlarged view on the section line 4-4 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the blower fan unit with the cover olf the switch box or casing and showing the regulable means for the thermal element;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the stated blower fan unit, on a smaller scale, and with the cover of the switch box applied;

Figure 7 is a perspective view on a relatively small scale of the adapter sleeve or pipe; and

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the wiring which is preferably used.

As will be hereinafter clear the subject matter of the instant invention has to do with a novel fan construction of the type seen for instance in Figure 6, and which may be employed as a so-called booster fan or may be used in the matter depicted in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, as a basement warmer under which circumstances it is attached directly to the plenum of the furnace. The invention is built for use in gravity type hot air pipes, ducts and furnaces and it can be easily installed in a matter of minutes. After it is mounted, one can simply plug in the current conducting wire using the regular house current, set the hereinafter described automatic control unit for the most eflicient duct temperature and the device will work automatically, spring, fall and winter. It will serve to force warm air into hard-to-heat areas, will not operate if the furnace is not on, or if the temperature of the air in the duct is below the automatic setting for the fan. It will function efficiently to circulate heat, warm hard-to-heat rooms, will heat the basement rooms and will function quietly and efficiently and will thus prove to be appreciably economical.

Attention is first called to Figure 1 wherein the numeral 8 designates, generally speaking, the casing or jacket of an ordinary hot air basement furnace. The plenum, sometimes referred to as the air heating chamber, dome, etc, is denoted .by the numeral 10, and this is also conventional and provided in its vertical wall portions 12 with warm air ducts 14 which lead to the various rooms and wall i being denoted by the numeral 20. There is an endless outstanding shoulder-forming bead 22 on the inner attachable end and beyond this are slit bendable attaching fingers 24. These are clenched against the interior of the.

wall 16 with the bead contacting the exterior in the manner shown in Figure 2. The sleeve thus takes a position in .a horizontal plane and projectsbeyond the casing 8, in an obvious manner. In one side and intermediate the ends, the sleeve is provided with an opening 26 to accommodate the self-contained readily applicable and removable blower fan unit, the unit denoted by the numeral 28 in Figure 6. This unit is characterized by a curvate or concave-convex plate 30 fits over the opening 26 and which is bolted to the adapter sleeve, as at 32. This plate, therefore, serves as a cover for the opening. Primarily, however, it is a common base for the complemental parts which are attached thereto and therefore carried thereby, making said unit a handy self-contained attachment. The parts. referred to have to do with a blower fan (see Figure 2) 34 which is, of course, located in and midway between the ends of the passageway or bore of the adapter pipe 20. An appropriate electric motor 36 serves to drive the fan, and this thus motordriven fan is provided with hanger brackets 38-38 which, as shown in Figure 3, are bolted in place at 40- 40 to hold the motorized fan in the desired position. The numerals 42-42 designate exteriorly accessible lubrieating or oiling cups which join with tubes 4444 which, in turn, are connected with the shaft bearings, as at 46- 46. it may be stated in this connection that any appropriate motor-driven fan may be, of course, provided, so long as it is suitable for detachable connection with the arcuate base plate 30 for convenient oiling and other requirements, and also, so long as it is on the concave side of the plate.

The same may also be said of the switch which is used for turning the fan motor off and on. The important thing, however, is that the switch must be of the automatic temperature controlled thermal type, wherein the switch proper is externally arranged on the convex side of the plate 30 for accessibility and wherein the thermal means is close to the fun and on the concave side of the plate. Although it is perhaps not at all necessary to detail all of the features of this switch, it has been found generally advisable to show a reasonably complete construction, even though on a small scale. The means under consideration, therefore, comprises what may be called an automatic control unit characterized by a switch box or casing wherein the box proper is denoted by the numeral 48 (see Figure 6) and a readily attachable and detachable coverSti. The over-all encased control unit is denoted by the numeral 52. A flat accommodation plate 54 is provided and the box is secured thereto, and said plate has a lateral flange 56 which is properly angled and secured to the intermediate portion of the plate 39 to properly mount the stated unit in the desired position shown. There is an opening 58 in the plate 30 through which a barrel 60 projects, and the latter serves as a convenient anchor, as at 62, for one end of a helically coiled thermal element 64 (see Figure 4). The outermost coil of this element is rigidly and operatively joined, as at 66, to the end 68 of a shaft 70 which extends through the barrel and is joined with the switch or circuit make and break device in the manner shown in Figure 4. That is to say, it has operative association with a cam 72 and a slotted suitably graduated dial 74, there being an index finger 76 carried by the cam and secured .by a clamping nut 78 to the dial. This arrangement is for setting the operation of the shaft in relation to the thermal coil, or vice versa. When acted on, the thermal coil turns the shaft 70, and the shaft, in turn, oscillates the cam 72 and the cam operates a pivoted trip arm 80 (see Figs. 4 and which is operatively connected at 82 to the long movable contact finger 84 located between the two associated stationary contact fingers S6 and 88. The current conducting or supply wire or cord is denoted at 89 in Figure'a, for example, and the motor wires are de noted at 90 in Figure 4. Other complemental Wires are shown at 92 in Figure 5. As stated, the present disclosure has nothing to do with the specific construction of the thermal or heat responsive switch, except and insofar as it relates, in combination, to the coil extending into close proximity with the fan and operatively joined with the shaft 70 which turns a regulable switch off and on, and wherein the switch means or mechanism is located in a box or casing appropriately and conveniently mounted on the exterior or convex side of the base or cover plate 30. Thus, the base plate 30 provides a common support for these cooperating devices, and the latter and plate, conjointly considered, go to make up a self-contained blower fan unit or attachment, one which may be purchased as such and installed by the average or ordinary home owner having mechanical talent. The home owner can buy the thimble-like adapter sleeve 20 and secure it in place in a hole in the plenum chamber in the manner shown and then can apply the blower fan unit by way of the opening 26. In this way, a simple, practical, economical and easy-to-install basement conditioner unit is had. It follows that the factors of compactness and convenience, efficiency and ease and economy of installation are unquestionably present in the invention disclosed.

The subject matter of the invention herein under advisement is such that it promotes simple installation, operates on any gravity type hot air furnace, does not increase fuel consumption and, at low costs to all concerned, out-dates cold basements. It is completely automatic and utilizes a motor which withstands temperatures up to 175. Experimental use proves that it fully accomplishes intended results and therefore does much for increased home comfort by keeping the basement warm and dry, warms the floors and assists in drying clothes such as may be hung on lines in the basement due to the fact that it maintains the basement temperature up to 70. --Its use does not require the furnace to run longer nor any more often .and it, of course, makes an efiicient heating system even more efficient to the extent that it gives more even temperatures throughout the house. It stands to reason that any type of a basement, large, small, old, new or elegantly finished or just the average, all are practically of no use in the winter unless they are comfortably heated. And, too, the invention is desirable in that it brings about the comfort desired at an extremely modest outlay. In operation the unit draws cold air from the basement floor through a cold air register in the base of the furnace and circulates it through the heating chamber of the furnace. At the same time, the return of cold air from the first floor is speeded up. This sensible operating principle is certain to keep the heat output of the furnace properly balanced year after year.

It will be further evident to the reader that the construction is such that the conductor wire 89 will be provided with the usual pronged plug (not shown) and in practice this will be plugged into any volt outlet after which the user will set the control at about 100. The control may be set higher or lower to maintain the intended or desired temperature. It should be remembered in this connection that the temperature settings on the control are so-called plenum temperatures and not room temperatures. No wiring is required. The unit is sold complete with an eight foot cord, the cord 89, so that it is necessary to do no more than plug into the house current as stated. The control unit is permanently mounted on the arched plate and is covered by the readily removable applicable housing cover. This permits one to reach inside and make the desired temperature adjustments. in actual practice it is preferred that the control should be adjustable from 80 F. to P. so that it can be made to operate at the most desirable duct temperature and with greatest efficiency.

After the unit has been installed and plugged into the house current the indicator or lever 76 and complemental adjusting and clamping nut 78 is set at the desired temperature.

When the room thermostat turns the furnace on the heat that is generated goes up the pipes or ducts to the rooms above and, after the furnace has been run for a few minutes the room thermostat will shut the furnace off. From a high setting user may move the so-called lever on the control one point at a time to a lower degree until the fan comes on. The fan is taking excess heat from the plenum that would otherwise go up the pipes and over-shoot the setting of the room thermostat. Thereafter, the fan will be automatically started each time the temperature of the plenum chamber rises to the set value. All heat loss takes place upward through ceilings and the roof but in this instance where the heat is discharged into the basement it serves to warm the floors of the rooms above and the rooms require less direct heat from the furnace and thus the furnace runs less when the basement is warm, as is obvious.

In practice it is recommended that an opening some 8 inches, more or less, be made in the base of the furnace (not shown) to allow the cold air to be drawn in and heated and then exhausted and blown out by way of the fan 34.

With further reference to Figure 8, the wiring diagram, it will be noticed that the reference numerals employed on the components thereof correspond with those used in the other views and therefore an extended description of this aspect of the disclosure is believed to be unnecessary.

Since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents maybe resorted to, falling Within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a gravity-type hot .air furnace embodying a casing having a heated air accumulating plenum at its :top and room ducts communi-catively connected with said plenum, one vertical wall of said plenum having an extra opening therein in addition to the usual plenum openings with which the aforementioned room ducts are communicatively connected, and a basement heater attachment usable in conjunction with said plenum and room ducts comprising a relatively short pipe the passage of which is constantly open from its inner to its outer end, said pipe having its inner end communicatively secured by way of said extra opening to said vertical wall, said pipe projecting horizontally beyond the exterior surface of said vertical wall, an. exhaust-type blower fan supported and suspended in the passage of said pipe between the inner and outer open ends of said passage, a motor also suspended in said passage, said motor having a shaft and said fan being mounted for operation on said shaft, a self-contained automatic control unit accessibly mounted on and disposed exteriorly of said pipe, said unit embodying a casing having a readily removable cover, a switch operatively mounted in said casing, current conducting Wiring leading from and connecting the switch to said motor, a current supply cord operatively connected with said switch, a thermal element responsive to selected maximum and minimum plenum temperatures, a mechanical operating connection between said thermal element and switch which, when a predetermined temperature exists in said passage, automatically closes said switch and brings the fan into play, said thermal element extending into said passage in close proximity to the fan and motor, and manually regulable means in said control unit casing for setting the thermal element and thus selecting the temperature at which the fan comes on.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, and wherein said pipe has an opening in one side between said inner and outer ends, a cover plate for said opening, said control unit, thermal element, and fan-equipped motor being grouped together and compactly mounted, as an assembly, on said plate, the latter providing a common base for said assembly and also covering said last named side opening and being removably fastened on said pipe, whereby said fan equipped motor, control unit, thermal element, and plate constitute a readily applicable and removable attachment-type self-contained temperature controlled automatic fan unit. 1

3. As a new article of manufacture, a self-contained ready-to-install automatic blower fan for use in conjunction with a gravity-type hot air furnace and which does not go on unless the furnace is on and responds to plenum temperatures from F. to F. according to a selected setting when the furnace is on comprising, in combination, an arcuate bendable plate adapted to be attached to and cover an opening in a hot .air pipe or duct, an electric motor mounted on the interior surface of said plate and having a driven shaft carrying an air circulating fan, an automatic control unit having an independent conductor cord, said unit being aflixed to the exterior surface of said plate and embodying a casing having a readily applicable and removable cover, .a switch mounted in said casing and having a current conducting wiring leading from the switch to the motor, said conductor cord being adapted for connection with an ordinary receptacle, a thermal element responsive to selected maximum and minimum plenum temperatures, an operating connection between said thermal element and switch whereby the latter is closed and the motor driven fan comes on when a predetermined temperature exists, manually regulable means for selecting and setting the thermal element, and a mechanical operating connection between said means and thermal element, said plate having an opening therein and said thermal element and operating connection being carried by said control unit and projecting through said opening and beyond said interior surface of said plate.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a consolidated temperature responsive ready-to-install booster fan comprising, in combination, a plate adapted to be bolted in place on a duct, an electric motor and complemental pe riodically operable fan joined together detachably bracketed, as a unit, to the interior surface of said plate and adapted to be suspended in the passageway of said duct, a temperature responsive self-contained automatic control unit embodying a casing, an oil and on switch housed in said casing and operatively wired to said motor and accessibly supported on the exterior of said plate, said casing embodying a readily openable and closable cover, mechanical operating means for said switch also adapted to project into said passageway, a thermal element having one end operatively secured to said switch, operating means for actuating the latter, and said unit also embodying manually regulable mechanical means for adjusting and setting said thermal element so that it will respond when a predetermined temperature exists in said passage, whereby when the thermal element closes the switch, the motor operates and the fan comes on.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 482,808 McGoron Sept. 20, 1892 745,618 Hubbs Dec. 1, 1903 1,707,281 Sauvage Apr. 2, 1929 1,788,067 Scanlan Jan. 6, 1931 1,822,605 Teeple Sept. 8, 1931 1,826,748 Delamers Oct. 13, 1931 1,834,958 Martin Dec. 8, 1931 1,891,796 Carder Dec. 20, 1932 1,925,822 Shurtlefl? Sept. 5, 1933 1,932,231 Schmidt t Oct. 24, 1933 2,419,962 McLarty May 6, 1947 2,553,278 Rogant May 15, 1951 

